Park Square Theatre is one of Minnesota’s leading cultural institutions, and has been enriching the Twin Cities community by producing and presenting exceptional live theatre that touches the heart, engages the mind, and delights the spirit since 1974.

However, in 2007 their Strategic Plan revealed the lack of a clear, consistent “identity” as a critical issue to be addressed: “Park Square lacks a clear niche in the minds of the broader arts and culture community, as well as among target markets and the civic community. There has never been a more competitive marketplace than today’s razor sharp positioning and product development are required to remain strong.”

We guided a cross-functional team, board members and agency in developing a Brand Strategy to build a strong relationship with target consumers. Critical to this was understanding the role of single ticket buyers, annual subscribers and donors.

We began by conducting research to understand how consumers related to Park Square and competitive entertainment brands today. We then mined local and national research and identified the target consumer, based on insights into their underlying needs and motivations. Next, we determined how we wanted the brand to evolve in the future, and created an emotional Brand Promise that was compelling, believable and distinct to drive growth consistent with their Business Strategy.